


Lessons in (Un)Civility

by Zappy



Series: Mila Verse [17]
Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-17
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-11-15 05:06:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11223933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zappy/pseuds/Zappy
Summary: Mila likes her lessons from her Yadik. She could do without a nasty voice interrupting it with messages about rebellions and destruction, though.





	Lessons in (Un)Civility

**Author's Note:**

> Mila in Civil Defense, as prompted by Transjulianbashir on tumblr

Mila was trying to use her senses beyond eyesight to find where Yadik was hiding in his shop when her practice was interrupted by _that_ voice. She’d only heard it once before, but given the fact that it was the time the man had tried to steal her away from Daddy and when she started to call Garak Yadik, it was rather memorable.

Giving up the lesson, Yadik appeared behind her and the two of them started to close up the shop. Mila liked helping Yadik close up the shop, there were so many interesting fabrics to feel and fold up, though she didn’t get to enjoy it this time as approximately three minutes after hearing _that man_ ’s voice, the computer made a station wide broadcast about Bajoran prisoners escaping and a protocol, and then Dukat making _another_ announcement about killing every Bajoran on the station.

She was really starting to understand Aunt Kira’s utter dislike of the man. Looking up at Yadik, she saw that he felt much the same as Aunt Kira did. Mila thought that may have been the first thing she could say they shared. “Come along, Mila, I believe my services are needed in Ops, and seeing as your other caretakers are very likely occupied at the moment, you’ll be coming with me.”

Mila looked at the open door and the slight orange shimmer it gave off. “But Yadik, there’s a force field…”

The wide smile he gave her then was one she usually got when he was about to impart some important Cardassian culture. It was full of mischief and caused Mila to smile much the same way back at him. Yadik bent down and scooped her up in his arms in a move that was as rare as it made her feel warmer. “Computer, access code Garak-1359.”

The command was followed and for a moment the force field vanished, only to reappear when Yadik stepped through the doorway. “It’s going to get tedious saying that…but needs must, hm? Off to go find the good Doctor.”

“Off to find Daddy!” Mila mirrored, tightening her arms around Yadik’s neck. She didn’t like showing weakness around him, the lessons on Cardassia seemed to say it was only ever a bad thing, but Yadik himself never said anything when she held him tighter than she needed to. So long as Mila didn’t say anything, maybe that’d continue to be.

The rest of the trip to ops was spent quietly, with only Yadik’s voice interrupting it. Just as they reached the outside door of the ops, they heard Aunt Kira saying hundreds of people were trapped after Dukat’s message said something about gas in five minutes. The ease in the man’s voice sent a shiver down Mila’s spine that had nothing to do with the natural chilliness of the station.

“I believe that’s the point, Major,” Yadik spoke and got everyone’s attention on them. He repeated the code that let them through, and the moment they were in ops, Daddy rushed over. “Ironic, isn’t it? The only place in the galaxy that recognizes my access codes is a _Bajoran space station_.”

Mila was too busy revealing in the hug Daddy was lavishing on her to listen to what Yadik and Aunt Kira were saying, and then she noticed that Auntie Jadzia was hurt. Hugging her godmother’s leg and avoiding touching the burned hands, Mila turned when Daddy asked Yadik if he’d used the code to attempt to shut down the security program. She felt that was a silly question, if Yadik could have, he would have already.

“Garak, do you know a way we can _stop_ this neurocine gas?” Daddy asked and Yadik looked contrite.

“The only way to do that, is to destroy the life support systems.”

“What are you trying to do, Garak,  _get us all killed_?” Aunt Kira demanded.

“No wait a minute, he’s right! The neurocine gas is released in the life support systems, destroy it and we save everybody in the habitat ring!” Daddy excitedly interrupted.

“For twelve hours. And then everyone on the station will suffocate when we run out of oxygen.” Mila thought they’d freeze first, though maybe only Yadik and herself thought of that.

“Well that gives us twelve hours to regain control of the station.”

“Believe me Major, it’s the _only_ way to save those people. I believe life support is controlled from over there?” Yadik motioned towards one of the far stations and Mila watched as Aunt Kira sighed, frowned, and drew her weapon. After the officers there hastily leaped away, she fired on it.

Unfortunately, it only turned off the lights and caused another dreadful message from the mean man. The words made Mila release Jadzia and run to Daddy’s leg with a quiet fearful whine. 

“Self destruct sequence, initiated.”

~

Mila’s eyes watched Aunt Kira as she paced in the center of ops. Yadik was working away at one of the control consoles, Daddy was trying to ease Auntie Jadzia’s pain, and Mila herself was standing next to Yadik and trying not to get in the way.

“ _Any_ luck?” Aunt Kira asked irritably. Without looking up or stopping, Yadik replied.

“Mm. Plenty, Major. Unfortunately all of it _bad_. My personal code can activate any terminal on the station. However that’s the extent of my access. All I can do is just look around. I can tell you _exactly_ what’s going on but I can’t do anything _about it_.” Yadik looked like he’d really not want to continue his report, but leaned back and if Mila was reading his second-tongue right, it said _resignation-irritation-aggravation_. “As far as I can see, the only person who can disengage the security program is _Gul Dukat_.”

Mila really wished she could think Yadik was wrong, but he so rarely was. After looking at Daddy, she saw he was thinking much the same thing. Aunt Jadzia jumped in when no one else had any reply to that, and after their conversation, Yadik gave the Trill a look of surprised wonder that usually only Daddy could cause. “What a _creative_ idea. It’s certainly worth a try.”

Seeing Yadik impressed by someone always caused her to smile, and she knew Daddy had the same look on his face. He’d moved to leaning on the terminal just behind Yadik and Mila joined him on Yadik’s other side. The both of them flicked their gazes as everyone spoke and made plans.

Once Auntie Jadzia and Kira went away to go rewire the computers so they couldn’t scan Yadik, Yadik looked over his shoulder and noticed that they were standing behind him, staring at him and smiling.

“Tell me, my dears, what is it _exactly_ about this situation that is making you both smile?”

“You, Garak.” Daddy replied with a grin the same moment Mila chirped,

“You, Yadik.”

“Hm?” Yadik hummed, continuing to work away on the console.

“Just wondering how many _other_ tailors can rewrite Cardassian security protocols.” Mila knew that tone of voice. That was Daddy’s flirty voice. She withheld a sigh, that tone of voice meant she’d be staying with Auntie Jadzia or the O’Briens. After a quick glance at where Aunt Kira was helping Auntie Jadzia, she figured it was more likely she’d be staying with Molly.

“I wouldn’t even _venture_ a guess. Which reminds me, those _pants_ you wanted altered are ready in the shop, my dear.”

Even Mila’s half understanding of second-tongue could tell her that Yadik was practically shouting _smugness-affection-insinuation_. Yes, she’d be staying with someone else of the family after this was over. Then Yadik’s posture changed entirely and he muttered irritably.

“Oh, _this_ is a problem.”

“What’s wrong?” Daddy’s smile fell.

“I always suspected that Dukat was a little paranoid. He’s left a rather _large_ number of interrogative subroutines embedded in his access code.” Yadik waved with one hand, still typing with the other. Daddy started moving to his other side with a soft scowl, and Mila mirrored him so as not to get in the way. 

“Meaning what?”

“Meaning the computer is constantly challenging me to prove that I am who I say I am. Lieutenant, how much longer before you can disable those sensors?”

“Ah, at least another ten minutes.”

“I’m not sure we have that much time. In fact, I’m _sure_ we don’t.”

Not even a second after Yadik’s warning, the computer sounded again. That’s when the shots started to fly, and Daddy grabbed her and knocked them both to the ground as someone screamed. He dragged them both to hide under the large central terminal. Even then, Daddy couldn’t reach Aunt Kira’s phaser when she shouted if someone could.

“Well we can’t just stay here and do nothing!”

“I respectfully disagree Major, _nothing_ is all we _can_ do.” Yadik’s voice spoke up and Mila curled further under the terminal. She knew Yadik wasn’t prone to looking on the bright side of anything but right now, with disrupter blasts shooting all over the room, Mila just wanted someone to say it was going to be okay.

For the first time Mila discovered the meaning of ‘be careful what you wish for’. There was a hum that was almost drowned out by the sound of the blasts, and then a sigh. “Let me guess, someone tried to duplicate my access code, hm?”

After the past few hours, Mila was confident she could identify that smug voice in the middle of the Promenade if she had to. The cruel man started talking, heedless of the blasts firing around him, and Daddy drew her closer to him. She could feel the tension in Daddy’s long frame, and looked up to see his face contorted into a disgusted scowl. Oh, so all of her caretakers hated Dukat then.

“Well can you help us or _not_?” Daddy demanded with a growl. Dukat was unaffected by Daddy’s irritation.

“Oh, most certainly. All I have to do is enter my command code and shut down the program.” There was the sound of a clap after that, and Mila was really glad she couldn’t see the Gul and his satisfied face. She buried her face in Daddy’s uniform instead.

“Well then do it!”

“All in good time, Major Kira. All in good time…but first there are a few things we should discuss. Red leaf tea, please.” Miraculously, the blasts stopped, and Daddy looked up and over the table, trying to reach for Aunt Kira’s phaser with the arm that wasn’t holding her close to him. From just the corner of her eye, Mila saw Dukat turn to them with a mug in one hand and pointing a warning finger at Daddy, “Doctor.”

The next second they were hiding under the table again as the blasts returned their fire. Aunt Kira lost her patience, “What do you want Dukat?”

“You’ll find, I _don’t_ react well to that tone of voice, Major.” Dukat’s voice was slow and threatening, the sort of sound that would have chilled her bones if she weren’t already shivering from the cold of the station. Suddenly, he started laughing, and when he revealed why it sent a shock of anger through Mila. Nobody laughed at Yadik! And Yadik did not _grovel_.

Daddy looked over the top of the table, and shouted a warning as he saw Yadik stand from where he’d been sheltered from the blasts, Yadik waved a hand their way without breaking his challenging eye contact with Dukat, “Easy, Doctor! It would appear that the computer is only targeting _non_ Cardassians. Please do keep covering Mila, just to be sure.”

The arms around her tightened their grip.

“If you had been on the station when I designed this program I would have made an exception in your case.” Dukat said, the mock joviality gone from his voice. Yadik however sounded very bright, like he did when he was running circles around problematic customers.

“Well you’ve _always been_ short-sighted. It’s held you _back_ over the years. As I recall, your father had the _same_ flaw.”

“My father’s only _flaw_ was trusting you.” Dukat growled.

“Funny, at his trial your father said that his biggest flaw was that his _ambition_ outweighed his patriotism.”

Mila almost gasped, Yadik had just gone over with her a few weeks prior just what it meant to insult someone’s family like that. Aunt Kira interrupted before the argument could get worse, and then Dukat ‘invited’ Aunt Kira to talk to him in Sisko’s office. Thankfully, he turned off the blaster machine before he left. Aunt Kira stalked up to meet him at the door to Sisko’s office and Mila watched them, hoping that Aunt Kira might punch him.

Daddy stood with her in his arms and walked over to where Yadik was sitting once more at the station he’d tried to turn the protocols off on. He offered them a flash of a smile, one of the more real ones, when he saw they were unhurt. But all of their gazes returned to the door to the command office without a word. No one broke the silence as they waited.

Not long after they entered, Aunt Kira and Dukat returned, Dukat looking smug again and Aunt Kira looking determined and irritated. Dukat was leaving, which was nice, though he promised to be back a few minutes before the end of the self destruct timer, which was less nice. Mila glared at him from the safety of Daddy’s arms as he attempted to transport back to his ship.

Attempted.

A new voice suddenly broke the silence, and it ended up being another Cardassian, this one who obviously didn’t like Dukat either, so they must have had sense. Mila’s good feeling for the voice vanished when he reported that the self destruct could no longer be halted because Dukat had tried to run away from his post. All eyes turned to look at the disgraced Gul, though Mila noticed that Yadik’s were the first, and that his face was showing pure satisfied glee at seeing Dukat suffer.

“Computer, abort the self destruct sequence. This is a priority one override. Clearance level nine, authorization Dukat 5-1-1-6 green.”

“Request denied. All authorization codes are void. Time to self destruct twenty-five minutes.”

Mila tightened her grip on her dad and wondered what they were going to do now. The dreadful silence after the computer spoke was broken when Yadik laughed with no mirth in it and turned to Dukat, “Even your own computer program turns against you! I always knew your _short-sightedness_ would be your downfall.”

“I don’t see you coming up with any ideas, _tailor_.” Dukat glared back and before Yadik could return a jab, Aunt Kira took charge.

“Look if you two are finished with the insults, we could use some _help_ here. Now, what can you tell us about the self destruct sequence?” Aunt Kira asked as she turned to Dukat. Mila was glaring at him from his other side and trying very hard to keep quite. But the look he gave her aunt did not make that easy.

Everyone gathered around the table went back and forth on what they could do after Dukat explained, and Mila really was only paying attention to tone as she didn’t know what the words meant when put together. Auntie Jadzia seemed to have a plan, but Daddy almost shot her down by saying no one, not even a Cardassian, could leave this room with all the codes gone.

Then Dukat started to prance about, flaunting for Kira. Mila glanced at Yadik, who looked two seconds away from saying something, and Daddy had one hand propped against his face as if he were in pain. When Mila tugged on his sleeve he offered her a brief smile and a roll of his eyes as Dukat continued to speak.

“There is no dilemma that cannot be solved by a _disciplined_ Cardassian mind.” Dukat remarked with a smile and a hand wave.

Yadik had had enough. With a roll of his eyes he cut in, “It’s _not_ going to work, you know.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to him, Dukat looked confused and Aunt Kira looked a mix of that plus relief. “What are you babbling about now?” Dukat demanded.

Yadik turned his head to face them with a look that said they should already know. “I’m talking about Major Kira.”

Aunt Kira scowled, “What about her?”

“She’s much too busy trying to save this station to be impressed by your _incessant posturing._ ”

Dukat took a step back as if slapped, shock written all over his face. Mila almost giggled. “Garak!”

But now Yadik was on a roll and he raised his voice, “And even if she _weren’t_ , she has much better taste than to be attracted to _you_!” Kira pulled back from the table with an annoyed look and Dukat continued to squirm. It was the best thing to happen all day, in Mila’s opinion. “ _You_. A _married_ man.”

Dukat clenched his teeth and pointed a finger at Yadik, “I should have executed you years ago!”

“You _tried_ , remember?” Yadik replied with no concern whatsoever. Daddy cut in then after putting a hand atop Mila’s head.

“Garak,” Yadik turned to face him and paused, “This isn’t helping.” Yadik’s blue eyes flashed down to meet Mila’s and he dropped his shoulders a small amount. Thankfully that was when Auntie Jadzia had one of her brilliant ideas, and suddenly things were on a roll again.

The unfortunate part was that they were counting on Dukat to reprogram whatever they needed. Everyone was watching every move he made, and Mila decided that where Yadik was was likely the safest distance to do so with. He gently put a hand on her shoulder when she went over to him, and she took that as his apology for getting distracted earlier.

She gripped his leg as everything started shaking and exploding, but they got the communications on again and Aunt Kira managed to contact Commander Sisko. They had ten minutes, and the order was given to evacuate the station as fast as possible. Daddy and Yadik glanced at each other, and next Mila knew, Yadik had scooped her up again in a mirror of how he’d done so at the beginning of this mess hours ago.

Mila wanted to struggle, because she saw that Daddy was staying behind to help any injured people, but when she looked at Yadik’s face it was carefully drawn into a blank mask and she stopped. Both of them watched as the energy from the self destruct hit the shields outside the station, and Yadik let out a long quiet breath. “Well. That should be enough excitement for one day, hm?”

She would have replied, but she just wanted to be sure Daddy was still okay. Yadik let her lead him with one hand pulling his all the way back to Ops. They got there just in time to hear something Mila probably shouldn’t have heard.

Aunt Kira talking to Dukat. “You were practically useless! This station has _enough_ ‘Cardassian presence’ on it, thank you very _much_ , now. Get the fuck off the station before I find a reason to shoot you that the Commander can’t refute.”

Finally, Mila let loose her giggles when she saw the look on the Gul’s face.


End file.
